SAN ANTONIO (Interstat) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 26 points and doled out 12 assists, and the Oklahoma City Thunder erased a 15-point first-quarter deficit to beat the San Antonio Spurs 123-108 on Friday night, seizing a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference playoff series.

Jared McCain added 24 points off the bench and Jaylin Williams contributed 18 points for the Thunder, who played without forward Jalen Williams because of left hamstring soreness. Oklahoma City’s reserves overwhelmed San Antonio’s bench 76-23, a decisive advantage that included 15 points from Alex Caruso.

Victor Wembanyama led the Spurs with 26 points, four rebounds and three assists, but the 7-foot-4 forward could not prevent San Antonio from squandering an early lead in front of 19,034 at Frost Bank Center. Devin Vassell scored 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds, while Stephon Castle had 14 points, five rebounds and seven assists. De’Aaron Fox added 15 points, seven rebounds and six assists for the Spurs.

The game began with a flurry of San Antonio activity. After Chet Holmgren won the opening tip, Castle collected the loose ball, and Fox opened the scoring with a 2-foot layup 21 seconds in. Wembanyama buried a 25-foot step-back 3-pointer, and Vassell knocked down a running pullup jumper to push the Spurs ahead 10-0, forcing an Oklahoma City timeout just 1:50 into the contest.

The Spurs kept their foot on the accelerator. Fox scored again off a Wembanyama assist, and Vassell drilled a 3-pointer from the left wing to stretch the lead to 15-5. Wembanyama blocked a floating jump shot from Isaiah Hartenstein, and Oklahoma City appeared rattled, committing a shot-clock turnover.

But the Thunder’s bench began to turn the tide. After a substitution spree that brought in Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, Jaylin Williams and Jared McCain, Wallace drained a 26-foot 3-pointer from Gilgeous-Alexander’s feed. Caruso followed with a triple of his own, cutting the deficit to 19-15 and prompting San Antonio to call a timeout.

The momentum shifted further when Jaylin Williams sank consecutive 26-foot 3-pointers, the second off a Gilgeous-Alexander assist, to pull Oklahoma City within 21-21. McCain scored on a running layup, and though Wembanyama answered with a 26-foot 3-pointer to close the first quarter, the Thunder had carved the lead to 31-26.

Oklahoma City seized control in the second quarter. Holmgren opened with a 29-foot 3-pointer, and Gilgeous-Alexander hit a 27-foot step-back triple to put the Thunder ahead for the first time at 34-31. Jaylin Williams then connected from deep again, capping a 14-0 run that gave Oklahoma City a 37-31 edge.

San Antonio briefly answered. Carter Bryant hit a 23-foot 3-pointer, and Fox added a driving floater. But the Thunder kept firing. Cason Wallace finished a reverse layup, Holmgren threw down an alley-oop dunk, and Gilgeous-Alexander converted a fadeaway jumper to make it 45-39.

The Spurs clawed back within 51-45 after a pair of Vassell free throws and a Castle 3-pointer, but Oklahoma City responded with a 6-0 spurt. Gilgeous-Alexander hit a step-back jumper, and Jaylin Williams drilled another 3-pointer, this one off a Caruso assist, to send the Thunder into halftime leading 58-51.

Oklahoma City shot 52.8 percent from the floor in the first half and 40 percent from 3-point range, while San Antonio managed 40.8 percent shooting. The Thunder’s bench had already produced 28 points against San Antonio’s 13.

The third quarter became a battle of attrition. Oklahoma City quickly extended its lead to 10 points when Hartenstein threw down a dunk and Caruso nailed a 23-foot 3-pointer. The Spurs hung around behind Castle’s free throws and a Vassell driving layup, but every San Antonio push was met with a Thunder answer.

Gilgeous-Alexander scored on a driving floater, and after a flurry of technical fouls and a flagrant foul on Ajay Mitchell, the Thunder maintained a 73-68 advantage. McCain drove for a layup, and Gilgeous-Alexander knocked down a 24-foot 3-pointer to push the lead back to 10.

Wembanyama converted a fadeaway jumper and added a free throw, but McCain scored inside, and Gilgeous-Alexander sank free throws to keep the margin at 90-84 entering the fourth quarter.

The Thunder put the game away in the final period. Holmgren opened the fourth with a fadeaway jumper, and McCain drilled a 23-foot 3-pointer to make it 95-85. After a San Antonio timeout, Fox answered with a 13-foot jumper, but McCain answered with a driving floater.

Julian Champagnie hit a 23-foot 3-pointer for the Spurs, but Oklahoma City’s defense stiffened. Wallace stole a Fox pass, and Gilgeous-Alexander made three free throws after being fouled on a 3-point attempt. The lead swelled to 103-92 after Jaylin Williams buried a 25-foot 3-pointer off a McCain assist.

A late San Antonio run, sparked by Wembanyama’s reverse layup and a Champagnie driving layup, cut the deficit to 103-101 with 3:50 left, prompting a Thunder timeout.

Oklahoma City responded with poise. Gilgeous-Alexander hit two free throws, and Wallace drilled a 24-foot 3-pointer to restore a 108-103 lead. The Spurs could not get closer than five points the rest of the way.

McCain added two free throws with 1:51 left, and Kenrich Williams scored on a tip-in and later hit a 26-foot 3-pointer to seal the victory. Kelly Olynyk hit a 23-foot 3-pointer in the final seconds to account for the 123-108 final.

Oklahoma City shot 50.6 percent from the floor and 42.1 percent from 3-point range, while San Antonio shot 44.2 percent overall and 32.4 percent from beyond the arc. The Thunder held a 42-35 rebounding advantage.

Gilgeous-Alexander added two rebounds and a block in 36 minutes, continuing his strong playoff run after posting 30 points and nine assists in Game 2 and 24 points and 12 assists in Game 1. Jaylin Williams contributed five rebounds and an assist in 22 minutes off the bench. Holmgren finished with 14 points and three rebounds, while Wallace chipped in 11 points, five rebounds and four assists.

For San Antonio, Castle collected two blocks, and Fox dished six assists. Wembanyama added two blocks, and Vassell recorded two steals.

The Thunder improved to 74-19, while the Spurs fell to 71-26.

Game 4 of the series is scheduled for Sunday at Frost Bank Center.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of San Antonio 121, Oklahoma City 108, and its ELO system gave the Spurs a 64.70 percent probability to win. San Antonio was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1. The total score of 231 went under the over/under line of 215.5.